March mail-in ballot on Yankees now possible

Members of the Marion County Commission, David Moore, from left, Kathy Bryant, Stan McClain and Carl Zalak, look on during a workshop held to discuss the prospect of bringing a New York Yankees, Florida minor league baseball facility to Ocala at the Marion County Extension auditorium on Northeast Jacksonville Road in Ocala.

Published: Thursday, November 21, 2013 at 9:17 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, November 21, 2013 at 9:17 p.m.

Marion County commissioners will not put a five-year, half-cent sales tax to build a stadium for the New York Yankees Class A farm team on the ballot in a March special election but they will consider a mail-in ballot being sent to voters to decide in March.

"I think as many folks as possible should have the opportunity to vote on this issue," Commissioner Stan McClain said.

The consensus of the board at Thursday's workshop meeting was that voter turnout was poor in special elections and they would prefer having the referendum question presented during a general election, most likely in November 2014, when there would be more voter participation. But a March mail-in ballot might possibly be more palatable. Commissioners will discuss the matter further at their Dec. 3 meeting.

That sentiment came as a disappointment to Anthony Bruno, senior vice president/chief financial officer of Yankee Global Enterprises, who has represented the ball club in its negotiations with the city of Ocala to move the Tampa Yankees to Ocala.

"We feel the March ballot is critical to this project. We are disappointed we didn't have a clear direction toward a March ballot. We are hopeful there can be work done to get us to that point and hopeful this isn't a big roadblock for this project," Bruno said. "We are still encouraged by the constituents and the voices we heard tonight for the support of the project."

Bruno had explained to the commission earlier in Thursday's meeting that the negotiations had been in progress for two years and that the March vote was important because he already had applied for permission from the Florida State League, Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball to relocate the team for the spring 2016 season.

Commissioner Kathy Bryant said, like other commissioners, that she believed the voters should get the opportunity to decide whether they were willing to approve the sales tax, but she said she was not in favor of the people of Marion County paying the $350,000 for a special election in March.

Commission Chairman Carl Zalak said he would like Marion County Superintendent of Elections Wesley Wilcox to be at the December meeting to discuss mail-in ballots done by other counties and the cost of such an election.

The city has negotiated deals to bring the Yankees' minor league team from Tampa to Ocala by building a 4,000-seat stadium west of Interstate 75 behind Kohl's department store and leasing the team an additional 10 acres for commercial development.

Part of the deal calls for Marion County to own the stadium and lease it to the city, which subsequently will lease the stadium to the team. To pay for the $60 million stadium and land, the city has asked the county to put a referendum on the ballot in March asking voters to agree to a five-year, half-cent sales tax, which would generate about $82 million over the five years. Because the proposed tax would be a county-wide tax, the County Commission by law is the governing body that would decide whether to put it on the ballot. The roughly $22 million difference between the amount the sales tax generates and the cost of the stadium could be spent by the county on projects it deems worthy or it can be overseen by a citizen committee that would decide what economic development or promotional projects would be funded.

The members of the public who spoke at Thursday's meeting overwhelmingly were in favor of the commission putting the question on the ballot in March.

Doug Cone, chairman of the Ocala/Marion County Chamber Economic Partnership, said his board unanimously supported the city's request to put the sales tax question to the voters in March. He said having the Yankees would enhance business attraction, would open hundreds of acres for development and job creation, would not saddle the community with long-term debt, would add to the quality of life and would keep spending in the community rather than leaving the area.

Cone said the project has generated many questions, many still unanswered, but added, "Rarely does a community have an opportunity to affiliate itself with this type of project and an organization like the New York Yankees like we have today."

Commissioners had questions. Zalak questioned whether the Yankees name would be displayed on the stadium.

"We recognize that's important for this market," Bruno said. "This will clearly be a Yankees facility."

Commissioner Earl Arnett questioned the ownership being Bomber Baseball LLC and Bruno explained that that is a subsidiary of the Yankees and, as such, is owned by the Yankees.

Bryant wanted to know who would get the revenue from city events at the stadium. Assistant City Attorney W. James Gooding III explained that the city would, but it would reimburse for maintenance. Any money earned above that would go into a capital improvement account. Charities would keep what they earn.

Bryant questioned county ownership of the stadium and whether other entities could own it. Gooding explained that by having the county own the stadium, property taxes would not have to be paid. If another entity, such as the city owned it, even if the county donated the taxes back to the city, the city would still have to pay school taxes, which are higher than both the city and county's taxes, and would have to pay water management district taxes.

While many favored putting the tax question to the voters in March, others were opposed.

Dr. Asokan said he posed questions to commissioners and none of them were answered. He said the Tampa team is losing money. He said Orlando turned the Yankees down. He said Ocala is an afterthought and wondered why the hurry.

Chuck Pardee favors the project. He said referendums "get buried" in regular elections.

"Educate the public," Pardee said. "If they don't like the Yankees, let them know so they can move down the road to another community that would like those 1,000 jobs."

Nick Robinson of the Emerging Leaders of Ocala said that organization unanimously supports putting the question on the March ballot. He said that having the stadium is a "great way to continue to bring the young people here or the ones that grow up here to retain them here."

Ocala Police Chief Greg Graham said there was a minor league team in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, when he worked there and that it brought excitement to the community.

"I just think this is a great project," Graham said.

Ocala attorney Landis Curry said he did not believe it was the responsibility of taxpayers to fund the election.

He said the city has already spent $240,000 on the project without any public input and anticipates spending another $250,000.

He said there would be an 8 percent turnout at a special election. He said, according to polls by the CEP, the age 65-and-over voters represent 50 percent of the voter turnout and they would have to be "kept home" in order for the ballot to succeed.

Bryce Peek, representing the Ocala Downtown Business Alliance, said his board voted unanimously in support of a March referendum.

Doug Shearer questioned why there was no study to determine if the voters would approve the tax. He added that he was opposed to paying for the election.

Local contractor Larry Cotten said he sends his workers to Gainesville and Orlando because there is little work in Ocala. He said those workers likely would not object to paying $60 a year in sales tax to help build the stadium.

"Keep that in mind," Cotten said. "We need work. We need development and all the things that come with it."

<p>Marion County commissioners will not put a five-year, half-cent sales tax to build a stadium for the New York Yankees Class A farm team on the ballot in a March special election but they will consider a mail-in ballot being sent to voters to decide in March.</p><p>"I think as many folks as possible should have the opportunity to vote on this issue," Commissioner Stan McClain said.</p><p>The consensus of the board at Thursday's workshop meeting was that voter turnout was poor in special elections and they would prefer having the referendum question presented during a general election, most likely in November 2014, when there would be more voter participation. But a March mail-in ballot might possibly be more palatable. Commissioners will discuss the matter further at their Dec. 3 meeting.</p><p>That sentiment came as a disappointment to Anthony Bruno, senior vice president/chief financial officer of Yankee Global Enterprises, who has represented the ball club in its negotiations with the city of Ocala to move the Tampa Yankees to Ocala.</p><p>"We feel the March ballot is critical to this project. We are disappointed we didn't have a clear direction toward a March ballot. We are hopeful there can be work done to get us to that point and hopeful this isn't a big roadblock for this project," Bruno said. "We are still encouraged by the constituents and the voices we heard tonight for the support of the project."</p><p>Bruno had explained to the commission earlier in Thursday's meeting that the negotiations had been in progress for two years and that the March vote was important because he already had applied for permission from the Florida State League, Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball to relocate the team for the spring 2016 season.</p><p>Commissioner Kathy Bryant said, like other commissioners, that she believed the voters should get the opportunity to decide whether they were willing to approve the sales tax, but she said she was not in favor of the people of Marion County paying the $350,000 for a special election in March.</p><p>Commission Chairman Carl Zalak said he would like Marion County Superintendent of Elections Wesley Wilcox to be at the December meeting to discuss mail-in ballots done by other counties and the cost of such an election.</p><p>The city has negotiated deals to bring the Yankees' minor league team from Tampa to Ocala by building a 4,000-seat stadium west of Interstate 75 behind Kohl's department store and leasing the team an additional 10 acres for commercial development.</p><p>Part of the deal calls for Marion County to own the stadium and lease it to the city, which subsequently will lease the stadium to the team. To pay for the $60 million stadium and land, the city has asked the county to put a referendum on the ballot in March asking voters to agree to a five-year, half-cent sales tax, which would generate about $82 million over the five years. Because the proposed tax would be a county-wide tax, the County Commission by law is the governing body that would decide whether to put it on the ballot. The roughly $22 million difference between the amount the sales tax generates and the cost of the stadium could be spent by the county on projects it deems worthy or it can be overseen by a citizen committee that would decide what economic development or promotional projects would be funded.</p><p>The members of the public who spoke at Thursday's meeting overwhelmingly were in favor of the commission putting the question on the ballot in March.</p><p>Doug Cone, chairman of the Ocala/Marion County Chamber Economic Partnership, said his board unanimously supported the city's request to put the sales tax question to the voters in March. He said having the Yankees would enhance business attraction, would open hundreds of acres for development and job creation, would not saddle the community with long-term debt, would add to the quality of life and would keep spending in the community rather than leaving the area.</p><p>Cone said the project has generated many questions, many still unanswered, but added, "Rarely does a community have an opportunity to affiliate itself with this type of project and an organization like the New York Yankees like we have today."</p><p>Commissioners had questions. Zalak questioned whether the Yankees name would be displayed on the stadium.</p><p>"We recognize that's important for this market," Bruno said. "This will clearly be a Yankees facility."</p><p>Commissioner Earl Arnett questioned the ownership being Bomber Baseball LLC and Bruno explained that that is a subsidiary of the Yankees and, as such, is owned by the Yankees.</p><p>Bryant wanted to know who would get the revenue from city events at the stadium. Assistant City Attorney W. James Gooding III explained that the city would, but it would reimburse for maintenance. Any money earned above that would go into a capital improvement account. Charities would keep what they earn.</p><p>Bryant questioned county ownership of the stadium and whether other entities could own it. Gooding explained that by having the county own the stadium, property taxes would not have to be paid. If another entity, such as the city owned it, even if the county donated the taxes back to the city, the city would still have to pay school taxes, which are higher than both the city and county's taxes, and would have to pay water management district taxes.</p><p>While many favored putting the tax question to the voters in March, others were opposed.</p><p>Dr. Asokan said he posed questions to commissioners and none of them were answered. He said the Tampa team is losing money. He said Orlando turned the Yankees down. He said Ocala is an afterthought and wondered why the hurry.</p><p>Chuck Pardee favors the project. He said referendums "get buried" in regular elections.</p><p>"Educate the public," Pardee said. "If they don't like the Yankees, let them know so they can move down the road to another community that would like those 1,000 jobs."</p><p>Nick Robinson of the Emerging Leaders of Ocala said that organization unanimously supports putting the question on the March ballot. He said that having the stadium is a "great way to continue to bring the young people here or the ones that grow up here to retain them here."</p><p>Ocala Police Chief Greg Graham said there was a minor league team in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, when he worked there and that it brought excitement to the community.</p><p>"I just think this is a great project," Graham said.</p><p>Ocala attorney Landis Curry said he did not believe it was the responsibility of taxpayers to fund the election.</p><p>He said the city has already spent $240,000 on the project without any public input and anticipates spending another $250,000.</p><p>He said there would be an 8 percent turnout at a special election. He said, according to polls by the CEP, the age 65-and-over voters represent 50 percent of the voter turnout and they would have to be "kept home" in order for the ballot to succeed.</p><p>Bryce Peek, representing the Ocala Downtown Business Alliance, said his board voted unanimously in support of a March referendum.</p><p>Doug Shearer questioned why there was no study to determine if the voters would approve the tax. He added that he was opposed to paying for the election.</p><p>Local contractor Larry Cotten said he sends his workers to Gainesville and Orlando because there is little work in Ocala. He said those workers likely would not object to paying $60 a year in sales tax to help build the stadium.</p><p>"Keep that in mind," Cotten said. "We need work. We need development and all the things that come with it."</p><p><i>Contact Susan Latham Carr at 867-4156 or susan.carr@starbanner.com.</i></p>